"'Yudhishthira said, "Tell me, O grandsire, what reply was given by either
the Brahmana or the monarch to Virupa after the conclusion of the
latter's speech. What kind of end was it, amongst those described by
thee, that they obtained? What, indeed, was the discourse that happened
between them, and what did they do there?"
"'Bhishma said, "The Brahmana, saying, 'Let it be as thou hast said,'
worshipped Dharma and Yama and Time and Mrityu and Heaven, all of whom
were worthy of worship. He also worshipped all those foremost of
Brahmanas that had come there by bending his head unto them. Addressing
the monarch then, he said, 'Endued with the reward of my recitations, O
royal sage, attain thou to a position of eminence. With thy leave I shall
set myself to my recitations again. O thou of great might, the goddess
Savitri gave me a boon, saying, "Let thy devotion to recitations be
continuous."'
"'"The king said, 'If thy success (in recitation) has become fruitless (in
consequence of thy having given away those fruits unto me), and if thy
heart be set upon practising again, go, O learned Brahmana, half and half
with me, and let the reward of thy recitations themselves be thine.'[648]
"'"The Brahmana said, 'Thou hast made strenuous efforts before all these
persons (for making me a sharer of the rewards in store for thee as the
consequences of thy own acts). Let us then become equal in respect of our
rewards (in next life), and let us go to receive that end which is ours.'
Knowing the resolve to which they came there, the chief of the gods came
to that spot, accompanied by the deities and the Regents of the world.
The Sadhyas, the Viswas, the Mantras, diverse kinds of loud and sweet
music, the Rivers, the Mountains, the Seas, the Sacred Waters, the
Penances, the Ordinances about yoga, the Vedas, the Sounds that accompany
the singing of the Samans, Saraswati, Narada, Parvata, Viswavasu, the
Hahas, the Huhus, the Gandharva Chitrasena with all the members of his
family, the Nagas, the Sadhyas, the Munis, the god of gods, viz.,
Prajapati, and the inconceivable and thousand-headed Vishnu himself, came
there. Drums and trumpets were beat and blown in the firmament. Celestial
flowers were rained down upon those high-souled beings. Bands of Apsaras
danced all around. Heaven, in his embodied form, came there. Addressing
the Brahmana, he said, 'Thou hast attained to success. Thou art highly
blessed.' Next addressing the monarch, he said, 'Thou also, O king, hast
attained to success.' Those two persons then, O monarch (viz., the
Brahmana and the king), having done good to each other, withdrew their
senses from the objects of the world. Fixing the vital breaths Prana,
Apana, Samana, Udana and Vyana in the heart, they concentrated the mind
in Prana and Apana united together. They then placed the two united
breaths in the abdomen, and directed their gaze to the tip of the nose
and then immediately below the two eye-brows. They next held the two
breaths, with the aid of the mind, in the spot that intervenes between
the two eye-brows, bringing them there very gradually. With bodies
perfectly inactive, they were absorbed with fixed gaze. Having control
over their souls, they then placed the soul within the brain. Then
piercing the crown of the high-souled Brahmana a fiery flame of great
splendour ascended to heaven. Loud exclamations of woe, uttered by all
creatures, were then heard on all sides. Its praises hymned by all, that
splendour then entered Brahman's self. The Great grandsire, advancing
forward, addressed that splendour which had assumed a form of the
tallness of a span, saying, 'Welcome!' And once more he uttered these
words, 'Verily, Reciters attain to the same end with the yogins. The
attainment by the yogin of his end is an object of direct vision unto all
these (here assembled). As regards Reciters, there is this distinction,
that the honour is ordained for them of Brahman's advancing forward to
receive them (after their departure from earth).[649] Dwell thou in me.'
Thus spoke Brahman and once more imparted consciousness into that
splendour. Indeed, the Brahmana then, freed from all anxieties, entered
the mouth of the Creator. The monarch (Ikshvaku) also, after the same
manner, entered the divine Grandsire like that foremost of Brahmanas. The
(assembled) deities saluted the self-born and said, 'A very superior end
is, indeed, ordained for Reciters. This exertion (that we have seen thee
put forth) is for Reciters. As regards ourselves, we came hither for
beholding it. Thou hast made these two equal, rendered them equal honour,
and bestowed upon them an equal end. The high end that is reserved for
both yogins and Reciters has been seen by us today. Transcending all
regions (of felicity), these two are capable of going whithersoever they
wish.'
"'"Brahman said, 'He also that would read the great Smriti (viz., the
Veda), and he too, who would read the other auspicious Smritis that
follow the former (viz., Manu's and the rest), would, in this way, attain
to the same region with me. He also who is devoted to yoga, will, without
doubt, acquire in this manner, after death, the regions that are mine. I
go hence. Go ye all to your respective places for the accomplishment of
your ends.'"
"'Bhishma continued, "Having said these words, that foremost of gods
disappeared there and then. The assembled deities, having previously
taken his leave, returned to their respective abodes. All those
high-souled beings, having honoured Dharma, proceeded with well-pleased
hearts, O monarch, walking behind that great deity. These are the rewards
of reciters and this their end. I have described them to thee as I myself
had heard of them. What else, O monarch, dost thou wish to hear of?"'"